Early this morning around 2:07AM, officers from District A-1 (Downtown Boston) were on patrol traveling on Causeway Street towards Charlestown when they observed the an individual acting suspiciously. Officers observed the suspect crouch down and make his way towards a parked vehicle. Officers continued to watch the suspect, and observed him open the door to the car and start to check the center console.

Officers exited their car and started to approach the car when the owner/victim of the car approached them and exclaimed that the car was his mother’s and he didn’t know the suspect in the car. The suspect was ordered to get out of the car and he complied. The suspect, upon getting out of the car, exclaimed to officers that he was just joking and that he was not going to steal the car.

The suspect, Eric T. Francis, 29 of Boston was arrested and charged with Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle, and Attempted Auto Theft. The suspect, en route to the district station for booking, stated, “I can’t wait Boston judges are lenient, I will only get five minutes or community service.”